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Toward a Safer Alberta
Addressing Rural Crime
October 2018
Report Produced by the Alberta MP Rural Crime Task Force
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 1
Contents
1. Overview
2. Introduction
3. Gathering Information
4. Findings and Opportunities
5. Conclusion
6. Appendices
Thank you to everyone who participated in consultations or provided information that contributed to this report on
Rural Crime in Alberta.
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 2
Overview
In Fall 2017, 11 Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) MPs representing
constituencies across Alberta formed a dedicated Task Force to address the
growing issue of rural crime. In partnership with United Conservative Party (UCP)
MLAs, the CPC Alberta MP Rural Crime Task Force (CPC-MP RCTF) met with
constituents, including community groups and law enforcement. We heard
concerns, issues, and potential solutions from Albertans province-wide. Their
contributions, in addition to relevant crime data, the criminal justice system and
legislative and policy materials all revealed operational and systemic deficiencies
which are contributing to the increase in rural crime.
This report summarises the findings of these meetings and the associated work
of the CPC-MP RCTF and UCP MLAs. This report recognizes the dynamic and
changing needs of rural Alberta communities related to crime and safety. This
captures public sentiment and expert information on issues related to rural crime
in Alberta. It provides detailed insights and opportunities with respect to the best
measures to address rural crime. The report also examines the sufficiency of the
current process of crime statistics reporting and offers recommendations at local,
provincial and federal levels as to how that can be improved. Relevant
experiences from victims of rural crime and from members of the criminal justice
system are also included in the reporting. The reflections, opportunities, and
observations in this report reflect the consensus view of those consulted, and do
not necessarily reflect the views of the CPC-MP RCTF.
Several themes emerged during these discussions, largely focused on the
criminal justice system, policing, person and property rights, crime prevention
initiatives, root causes of crime, and the treatment of victims and repeat
offenders. These issues, and more, are presented in the last section of this
report, accompanied by many options and opportunities for improvement and
change.
Emerging from the Task Force’s work was the CPC’s Motion 167, which calls on
the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security to study the
issue of rural crime in Canada. This study would focus on assessing rural crime
rates and trends, examining Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) policing
and staff resources, investigating partnerships with provincial and municipal
governments and agencies in rural and remote communities across Canada, and
1 1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 3
providing recommendations to improve rural crime prevention and reduce
emerging rural crime rates.
It is the intent of the CPC-MP RCTF to submit this report to the Standing
Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) as part of the study on
Rural Crime in Canada prompted by Motion 167.
This report is a contribution to understanding the myriad of challenges related to
rural crime, and to capture the concerns, feedback and issues presented by
Albertans who participated.
1.5
1.6
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 4
Introduction
Rural Albertans are increasingly concerned about
their own safety, the safety of their neighbours, and
the protection of their property.
Addressing Rural Crime and Protecting Rural Albertans
In Alberta, the CPC-MP RCTF and the UCP MLAs organized wide-ranging
consultations with constituents to hear concerns, insights, and ideas on how to
best deal with rural crime and related safety issues. These meetings, which often
included local police and community groups, were extremely useful in providing
real examples and case studies of rural crime, and revealed systemic
deficiencies that are contributing to rural crime issues.
CPC Members of Parliament from other provinces have conducted similar
constituency consultations as part of a larger CPC caucus effort focused on
addressing the growing issue of rural crime in Canada. This CPC initiative
resulted in Motion 167 (Rural Crime in Canada), which was introduced by CPC
MP Shannon Stubbs (Lakeland), and subsequently adopted by the House of
Commons.
Motion 167 now sits before the Standing Committee on Public Safety and
Security (SECU). MP Stubbs appeared before SECU as the Sponsor of the
Motion on June 12, 2018 and expressed the need for a comprehensive study of
rural crime and the subsequent development of substantive and targeted
recommendations to address the issue.
2
2.1
2.2
2.3
In 2017, rural Alberta crime rates were 38% higher compared
to urban crime rates in the province.1
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 5
The text of Motion 167 (Rural Crime in Canada) is as follows:
That the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security be
instructed to undertake a study on rural crime in Canada and consider factors,
including but not limited to:
i. Current rural crime rates and trends
ii. Existing RCMP and other policing resources and policies in rural, remote,
and Indigenous communities, particularly in relation to population density,
policing geographic area, and staff shortages
iii. Current partnerships with provincial, municipal, and Indigenous police
forces
iv. Possible recommendations to improve rural crime prevention and to curb
emerging crime rates
v. Measures to increase the tactical and operational effectiveness of
Indigenous police forces
vi. Strategies and resources dedicated to the judicial and rehabilitation
systems in rural areas
vii. Improved support for victims of rural crime
and that the Committee report its findings to the House within six months of the
adoption of this motion.
An Unprecedented Increase in Rural Crime
Based on complaints from rural property
owners and subsequent police
investigations, it is clear that there has been
an unprecedented increase in crime in rural
Canada over at least the last two years,
particularly in Western Canada. These
crimes mostly involve unauthorized intrusion
onto farms, businesses, and rural properties
and subsequent break and enter to homes, theft of vehicles and other property.
These crimes are often perpetrated by persons who are armed and overtly
threatening to property owners.
2.5
2.4
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 6
How are People Feeling?
Rural property owners are fearful, frustrated, and angry that there are long delays
waiting for a police response to rural crime, or when there is no police response
at all. These frustrations have been raised repeatedly in town hall meetings by
landowners and rural community groups, and have sparked a debate over
whether they should have the right to take matters into their own hands. The
RCMP has confirmed that these complaints are legitimate and well-founded, as
there are deployment and systemic deficiencies with law enforcement’s ability to
respond that are having negative impacts on rural communities.
Uncertainty Surrounding Person and Property Rights
Increasingly, rural property owners—often victims of multiple break ins and thefts
without suitable police response—are warned by police, or even charged, when
they use force to defend themselves, their families and their property from
criminals. Many see this as an exploitation of the vulnerability of living in rural and
remote areas. These property owners are seeking greater clarity on allowable
measures of self-defence (and the defence of their families and their property),
instead of the currently imprecise and uncertain terms, such as ‘reasonable
force.’
Lack of Public Confidence in the Criminal Justice System
The treatment of the victims of these crimes, the consequences for offenders,
and the prolific and ongoing criminal history of many offenders has led to a
growing lack of public confidence in the criminal justice system itself. It is
undeniable that a major factor of this rural crime outbreak is that the majority of
these crimes are committed by repeat offenders and by persons who have been
released by the ‘revolving door’ justice system.
Offenders Travel from Urban Centres to Commit Rural Crime
Notably, this crime increase is occurring in rural municipalities, and police confirm
that offenders from urban centres deliberately travel to isolated and rural
locations to exploit delayed police responses. Police also confirm that the rural
crime focus on vehicle theft is not a matter of isolated cases, but instead part of
an organized crime activity that is facilitated by ‘chop shops,’ illegal sales, and
the drug trade.
2.6
2.8
2.9
2.7
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 7
What Can Be Done?
The dramatic increase in rural crime in Canada is a complex issue that raises
several operational, funding and policy issues which encompass local, provincial,
and federal areas of jurisdiction. Rural property owners and residents—and
indeed all Canadians—are looking for substantive and targeted reforms which
will result in a significant reduction in rural crime.
2.10
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 8
Gathering Information
The CPC-MP RCTF received personal experiences, stories, concerns, and
frustrations related to increases in rural crime. This information was received
through meetings, roundtables, townhalls, direct correspondence, and other
consultations.2 The information collected primarily helped to identify the actual
nature of criminal threats and concerns, as well as determine how the current
system (police, Crown, Courts, victim services) is dealing with offenders and
victims of crime. Participants also shared opportunities for addressing rural crime.
Preparation for this report involved the following research and engagement
processes to gather this most relevant information from key stakeholders, in
addition to considering relevant information such as crime data, criminal justice
performance and legislative and policy materials.3 (See Appendix B)
Focused interviews were conducted with Alberta law enforcement personnel,
including RCMP (current and retired); as well as municipal police leaders, and
Alberta Federation of Police Associations executive members, rural government
officials (county and municipal), and UCP caucus members.
Materials were received and analysed, including policy papers with
recommendations from UCP caucus members, (especially those related
specifically to rural crime issues and from constituency town-hall meetings);
RCMP data specifically in relation to operational performance and rural crime
issues, and information, meeting minutes, correspondence, and other
communications from the CPC-MP RCTF based on constituency consultations
where issues and suggested actions were included.
Crime statistics, media incident reporting, relevant provincial and federal
legislation and policies, and crime prevention technology were also reviewed and
considered.
3 3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
“I’m just tired of being a victim.”
Rural Property Owner from Northeast of Calgary 4
3.5
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 9
Findings and Opportunities
As Albertans shared their experiences, central themes emerged: policing, person and
property rights, treatment of victims and repeat offenders, crime prevention initiatives,
the root causes of crime, and overall improvements to the criminal justice system
(prison, probation, courts, law enforcement). Crime reporting, and availability of relevant
statistical data was also significant, as it ensures that policy reforms are substantive and
evidence based.
Of note is the complex and interconnected nature of many of these systemic issues,
present in rural crime cases. It is important to recognize that the issues shared in CPC-
MP RCTF consultations are the same conversations that happen daily across Alberta,
in coffee shops, at kitchen tables, and in lunchrooms.
During public consultations, participants brought forward both concerns and
suggestions for improvement. In this section, as each issue is explained, opportunities
that merit consideration follow, focused on federal jurisdiction and potential action.
There are, of course, many opportunities to positively impact rural crime at the local,
municipal, and provincial levels as well, in addition to the considerations listed here. The
UCP Party report, “A Safer Alberta: United Conservative Strategy to Tackle the Rural
Crime Crisis” 5 addresses these opportunities at the provincial and local level.
Policing
The changing needs of policing rural areas is top of mind for Albertans. The primary
concern expressed by rural victims of crime is the delay or, at times, non-response from
RCMP rural detachments to calls from residents victimized by break-in and thefts of
property. Many believe that crime has risen, but (policing) staff levels have not.
Overwhelmingly there was public call for additional RCMP resources to improve
response times in rural areas, to increase RCMP constable staffing levels – often to fill
vacancies, and to hire additional administrative staff to free up front-line officers.
4 4.1
4.2
4.4
4.3
4.5
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 10
To others, the core issue of addressing rural crime issues is the operational
performance of the current policing model (deployed in all provinces except Ontario and
Quebec). This includes where and how police officers are deployed, how they are
funded and whether a different model would increase effectiveness in key areas (such
as response capabilities), especially in rural areas. As Canada has a long and valued
history of its policing services being supplied by the RCMP with contracting
arrangements under the RCMP Act and varying federal financial support, considering
changes to the current model will have its challenges.
Many people recognize that police, as law enforcement specialists, have their hands full
dealing with prolific offenders, as crime reduction units focus on targeting the criminals
who hurt communities the most. Understaffed RCMP detachments and recruiting
challenges in Alberta today suggest that a review might help ensure the optimum
delivery of policing services for all Canadians, including those who live in rural and
remote areas. An example of this is regional ‘zone’ policing and creating satellite RCMP
detachments to better serve remote areas.
Improving the coordination, collaboration, and communication between law enforcement
agencies is key, none more so than in rural areas, enabled via technologies and
innovative programs or potentially integrated or centralized call centres for municipal
law enforcement and the RCMP. Overall, the immense task of managing information
sharing (regarding crimes and offenders) between all jurisdictions of government is a
necessary and will require further consideration.
Some rural municipalities have begun shouldering a portion of the policing burden, as
they pay for additional policing resources—setting up a partnership to fund extra RCMP
officers (General Investigation Sections) to help deal with what many see as an
‘epidemic’ of rural crime.6
Policing: Opportunities
Review rural policing models, including sufficiency of RCMP contract policing and
whether it needs to be revised, replaced by expanded regional policing models, a
fully empowered Provincial Police Service, the creation of dedicated RCMP rural
crime task force, or through the augmentation of the authority of other law
enforcement agencies.
Examine Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Examine Ontario Provincial Police
(OPP) and Sûreté du Québec (SQ) models of rural policing.
4.6
4.7
4.9
4.8
4.10
4.11
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 11
Review First Nations policing models and practices to ensure that funding is
stable and predictable by deeming First Nations policing an essential service.
Examine RCMP contract policing positions to ensure they are not being used to
fulfill other RCMP mandate priorities, and review RCMP compensation to ensure
it is competitive to attract and retrain personnel.
Consider an organizational shift and accountability mechanisms to ensure that
law enforcement in rural communities are responsible to the communities they
police, and fulfilling their public safety responsibilities.
Consider reviewing dispatch effectiveness to ensure adequate and timely
responsiveness in rural areas.
Examine the sufficiency of medical and forensic evidence gathering services in
rural communities to determine what improvements may be required.
Person and Property Rights
Confrontation between rural landowners and ‘unwanted visitors’ or ‘perpetrators of
crime’ has gathered much media attention in the past year, with several high-profile
media cases in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Proponents of stronger rights for
landowners call for changes to the Criminal Code to acknowledge the unique and
vulnerable position of rural citizens. Advocates also ask for stronger and more clear
articulation of ‘defense of person and property rights.’
Complicating this issue is the reality of significant delays or non-response by police and
emergency services, who are unavailable when requested because of their large
geographic area of responsibility and their distance from the remote location of the
crime being committed.
“To say that the RCMP face a daunting task in rural Alberta
is an understatement. The Rocky Mountain House
detachment covers 9,600 square kilometres, and there are
only 30 officers to cover all of the shifts round the clock.” 7
4.12
4.13
4.14
4.17
4.18
4.15
4.16
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 12
Person and Property Rights: Opportunities
Consider the revision of the criteria for ‘reasonable’ use of force in defence of
person or property in sections 34-5 of the Criminal Code to include consideration
of remote locations and timeliness of emergency service response, the failure of
the offender to depart the premises when confronted which, in the absence of
evidence to the contrary, shall be viewed as threatening, the number of persons
committing the crime and the codification of current common law principles
regarding self defence, defence of third parties, and the defence of property.
Consider amending section 718.2 of the Criminal Code to add ‘targeting
vulnerable persons or property including remote rural properties’ as an
aggravating factor in sentencing
Consider amending sections 86-7 of the Criminal Code regarding the use of a
firearm to require consideration of any non-criminal motivation for the actions
involved.
Victims of Crime
Part of transforming the criminal justice system involves exploring how to meaningfully
engage victims and respond to their needs, while protecting their safety at all stages of
the criminal justice system. Many rural Albertans are unaware of services available to
them when they are victimized, and the process of navigating through complex systems
is often frustrating.
Better education and awareness is needed among all Albertans, along with improved
access to support services. Improving assistance to victims and protecting victim rights
is often not important until the victim is you—or someone you love. Although healing is
necessary, some people are overwhelmed by fear and anger and look for retribution,
which often complicates matters.
4.19
4.23
4.22
4.20
4.21
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 13
Victims of Crime: Opportunities
Consider an immediate review of the current models of victim service delivery,
victim assistance funding and victim compensation to ensure the optimal
assistance is being provided to victims of crime, including those in rural
communities.
Encourage provinces to work with local rural communities to increase awareness
of the community victim impact statement opportunity, and to revise their Crown
Policy Manuals to support and facilitate the delivery of such impact statements so
that they are considered by sentencing courts.
Examine increased applications by the Crown for restitution orders and support
for enforcement of restitution orders on behalf of victims as a remedy for property
crimes.
Victims need more opportunities for meaningful engagement throughout the
criminal justice system and be treated with compassion and respect.
Offenders need to be held accountable for their crimes and to be prepared to
successfully reintegrate into society once they leave the criminal justice system.
Crime Prevention Initiatives
‘Crime prevention’ includes a wide range of educational and preventive measures,
including Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), Situation Crime
Prevention (e.g. locking doors, closing windows) and initiatives that focus on education
and promotion of well-being and mental health. CPTED initiatives include locked gates,
buildings, homes and vehicles kept on the property, cameras, alarms, and lighting.
Crime prevention measures undertaken by rural landowners, governments and
community groups that serve to reduce crime result in reduced public costs—which is a
benefit to all Canadians. Some rural property owners suggested that a federal tax credit
could incentivise the purchase of home security measures.
4.24
4.25
4.26
4.27
4.28
4.29
4.30
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 14
Proactive approaches to educate and inform the public on how to prevent crime are
invaluable not only as deterrents of crime, but also for the sense of connection that
grows between neighbours and within rural communities. Provincial and Federal funding
for approved rural community groups such as
Rural Crime Watch and Citizens on Patrol for
specific crime prevention is beneficial, both for
targeted activities and for rural landowner
advocacy. These crime prevention measures, if
proven to work, should continue to be funded.
Funding crime prevention initiatives requires
some creativity, such as using unspent or
uncollected revenues from unpaid fines and bail
forfeitures to financially support rural crime prevention measures.
Crime Prevention Initiatives: Opportunities
Consider amending section 734.5 of the Criminal Code to allow deduction of
outstanding fines or victim fine surcharges from payments by all levels of
government to generate non-tax revenues for crime prevention and community
safety programs.
Engage with the Insurance Bureau of Canada to ensure rural property owners
receive reduced rates when crime prevention and property protection measures
are implemented.
Ensure federal cooperation to help collect unpaid fines, bail forfeitures and victim
fine surcharges to generate non-tax revenues which can then be used by the
Provinces to combat rural and other crime through statutory dedicated funds.
Encourage law enforcement to have an increased presence in rural communities
to deter criminal activity and improve public perception.
Consider a federal tax credit for private individuals (non-business entities) for the
purchase and installation of crime-prevention measures.
4.32
4.31
4.33
4.34
4.35
4.36
4.37
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 15
Criminal Justice System
Canadians expect their criminal justice system to keep them safe while protecting their
individual rights and freedoms. This system, which encompasses prison, probation,
courts, and law enforcement, will require significant reform, especially to address rural
crime issues.
There is a lack of appropriate sentencing for repeat offenders (notably for rural property
crime) is commonly cited as a major frustration amongst those from rural communities.
Other issues include the increased resources needed for judges; hiring full time Crown
Prosecutors to meet rising rural needs; the length of judicial vacancies; and the
perceived lack of accountability of the judicial system.
Overall, many conversations focused on possible improvements to the existing justice
system performance, prisons and court processing reforms.
Criminal Justice System: Opportunities
Ensure all federal judicial appointments are made in a timely fashion.
Consider the reallocation of existing federal crime prevention and community
safety funding programs to enhance the use of Electronic Monitoring of repeat
offenders who are confirmed as main source of rural crime.
Examine announced federal funding to combat gangs and organized crime to
ensure that it includes actions that deal with rural crime groups which law
enforcement have identified, and such funding is actually allocated and
distributed.
Considering amending the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to restrict
presumptive entitlement to statutory release at expiration of 2/3 of court-imposed
sentence to first time federal offenders and replace it with discretionary parole for
repeat offenders (Early release from a court-imposed sentence should be a
privilege to be earned and not a right to be demanded).
Consider amending Corrections and Conditional Release Act to create parole
eligibility consequences for offenders that commit new indictable offences while
on conditional release.
4.38
4.39
4.40
4.41
4.42
4.43
4.44
4.45
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 16
Consider amending the Criminal Code, Corrections and Conditional Release Act
and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to expressly authorize the
releasing authority to direct the use of electronic monitoring in all relevant
applications.
Consider amending section 719(3) of the Criminal Code to clarify that persons
denied bail because of their past record should not be given extra credit for pre-
trial custody except in defined circumstances as explicitly provided by the
sentencing judge.
Consider amending the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to require the
reporting of a breach of conditional release to the Parole Board for consideration
of release revocation.
Consider amending the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to require
consideration by the Parole Board of past breaches and the availability of post
warrant expiry supervision orders.
Examine adjusting federal funding for local Legal Aid to increase the number of
full-time salaried duty counsel rather than using private lawyers who are paid
based on time spent on a case.
Consider amending the Criminal Code to create the offence of breaching parole
conditions.
Require Correctional Services of Canada to produce annual offender program
performance report where ‘success’ is measured in terms of recidivism.
Crime Reporting
Juristat, a division of Statistics Canada, publishes the crime statistics most frequently
cited by public officials, such as the annual Police-reported crime statistics in Canada.
Juristat also provides access to the raw data it receives which is organized into much
more relevant information to specific issues, available through what are known as
‘CANSIM’ tables. Although the relevance of Juristat’s reporting has improved over the
past decade, there is room for improvement in a number of areas, particularly with
respect to the criminal profile of persons charged with crime in Canada.
4.46
4.47
4.48
4.49
4.50
4.51
4.52
4.53
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 17
Additionally, despite the data being available, Juristat’s reporting does not always
provide the specific information relevant to specific issues such as has been identified in
the analysis of rural crime. It is also appropriate to recognize that, for numerous
reasons, not all people report crimes to police, which is relevant in assessing the actual
amount of crime that is occurring. The stated reasons for this low reporting rate are
varied but include, as noted by rural crime victims, a lack of confidence in the criminal
justice system.
Crime Reporting: Opportunities Work closely with law enforcement agencies to improve crime data collection,
including the RCMP, to ensure that all relevant data is collected, analysed and
reported to the public on annual basis with respect to rural crime including.
number of relevant offences reported (breaking & entering,
vehicle/property theft, mischief, robbery etc.)
number of rural crime offences involving firearms, weapons, threats,
assaults
number of rural crime offences committed by persons on bail, probation,
conditional sentence or conditional release (temporary absence, parole,
statutory release) or by persons with three or more past criminal
convictions
number of restitution orders made and compliance rate
number of stolen vehicles and number that have been recovered
Examine the potential of a Public’s Right to Know the Truth Act, which would
require an annual Report to Parliament containing detailed provincial crime
statistics.
Modernize the public crime reporting system to improve public confidence to
ensure all crimes are reported. It is important that the public is encouraged to
report crimes even when they believe it is not necessary to do so.
Encourage Juristat (Statistics Canada) to improve its crime data public reporting
by mandating analysis and annual reporting of relevant issues including those
dealing with repeat offenders and which expose systemic non-performance
(revolving door release).
4.54
4.55
4.56
4.57
4.58
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 18
Conclusion Rural crime prevention and safety requires a multi-jurisdictional approach to meet the
needs of changing rural circumstances. There are multiple policy issues and options
that merit consideration by all levels of government. The need for this systemic
approach is founded in the very nature of our criminal justice system—where much, but
not all, of relevant legislation is vested in the federal government—while the
administration of the justice system resides with provincial governments and local
governments share funding and policing priority determination responsibilities.
Additionally, because of this multi-jurisdiction reality, when one level of government
does or doesn’t do something it impacts other parties in the system. As noted by the
many people consulted for this report, resolving the complex issues that contribute to
rural crime and crime generally will not be achieved by a single action. As such,
consideration of policy issues and options for all three levels of government is
necessary.
The CPC-MP RCTF would like to thank constituents, UCP caucus members, and our
police and law enforcement agencies, crime prevention organizations, and other levels
of government who have been invaluable in informing the content of this report.
Scott Newark and Darlene Wilson did considerable work in the initial drafting of this
report, and the CPC-MP RCTF would also like to thank them for all their hard work.
CPC-MP RCTF members will continue to monitor and consult on rural crime issues in
their constituencies. Together, we can make a real difference as we address the
complex problems related to rural crime.
5 5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 19
APPENDIX A:
Public Consultation – Stakeholder Interviews
Issues Identification and Analysis:
The constituency consultations conducted by CPC MPs have resulted in the
identification of multiple issues relevant to the increase in rural crime as well as
suggestions for different actions to help address the problems.
The matters identified in the CPC consultations are also largely cited in the Alberta
constituency consultations conducted by UCP MLAs, although there are some
differences in identified concerns and resulting actions.
The result is comprehensive and detailed insights which are of great value in developing
an effective strategy to address the growth in rural crime in Canada.
What We Heard:
1. There is a need for additional RCMP resources and reform to the RCMP contract
policing funding model. This issue was raised 50 times during CPC consultations.
Specific concerns included:
A need for increased RCMP constable staffing levels, fill vacant positions
(with higher salaries if necessary);
Hire additional administrative staff to free up front-line officers
Improve RCMP response times in rural areas; re-assess existing
jurisdiction boundaries;
Require rural municipalities, areas and counties to pay for additional
policing resources as necessary;
There are an inadequate number of officers assigned to rural jurisdictions;
crime has risen but staff levels have not;
There needs to be an increased use of new technologies and innovative
programs as well as better coordination among different policing and law
enforcement agencies;
Provinces should consider regional ‘zone’ policing and creating satellite
RCMP detachments to better serve remote areas.
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 20
2. There needs to be stronger and more clear articulation of defense of person and
property rights. This issue was raised 17 times during CPC consultations.
Specific concerns included:
A greater ability for rural residents to protect their families and property from
unlawful activities committed on their property without fear of prosecution.
A clearer explanation of what constitutes “reasonable force” or “reasonable acts”
within the context of Sections 34 and 35 of Criminal Code is required.
3. There should be stronger sentences for property crimes, especially for repeat
offenders. This issue was raised 41 times during CPC consultations. Specific
concerns included:
A need for mandatory minimum sentences for repeat property crime
offenses;
A need for mandatory minimum sentences for serious property crimes;
A need for stronger penalties for property crimes in the Criminal Code to
create greater deterrence;
A need for increased sentences for fentanyl distribution and authorizing
medical rehabilitation for drug offenses;
Reducing the use of probation as a sentence for more serious property
offenses.
4. There is a need for increased resources for judges and Crown Prosecutors and
for greater systemic and individual accountability. This issue was raised 17 times
during CPC consultations. Specific concerns included:
Judicial vacancies in Alberta must be filled as soon as possible;
There needs to be a sufficient number of full time Crown Prosecutors
available to deal with rural jurisdictions;
There should be increased public awareness of the actions of the criminal
justice system including publication of verdicts and sentences and relevant
crime statistics;
There should be increased accountability for judges including through
creation of a public review board for judges where they can be held
accountable for verdicts;
Judges and Crown should be made more aware of the community impact
of crime and be required to consider these factors during the prosecution
and sentencing process;
There should be reduced use of plea bargains by Crown Prosecutors.
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 21
5. There needs to be proactive crime prevention efforts, including educating citizens
regarding crime deterrence measures. This issue was raised 33 times during
CPC consultations. Specific concerns included:
Encouraging rural residents to be proactive about preventing crime by
recording vehicle serial numbers, taking photos of property, locking doors
(vehicles, buildings and residence), installing security systems and crime
prevention through environmental design;
Encouraging residents to report all crimes and suspicious activity to
authorities;
Using constituency mailers from elected officials to educate people
regarding crime prevention measures;
Consider once more requiring license plates on the fronts of vehicles;
Increasing the focus on community-based policing which includes
community organizations.
6. There needs to be greater funding and promotion for rural crime watch
organizations. This issue was raised 25 times during CPC consultations. Specific
concerns included:
A need for increased funding, training, and support for Citizens on Patrol
and Crime Watch groups;
Greater cooperation and collaboration between police and Crime Watch
groups;
Help rural residents organize to track and report criminal activity via social
media;
Improve crime reporting capabilities to ensure faster and more accurate
crime reporting and info dissemination (robocalls).
7. There should be increased funding for mental health, education, and addiction
services. This issue was raised 14 times during CPC consultations. Specific
concerns included:
A need for greater funding for mental health and addiction services as part
of a strategy to reduce crime;
There should be increased support for at-risk youth and reforms
(unspecified) to the Youth Criminal Justice Act;
There should be increased focus on education, job training, and
rehabilitation programs in prisons to reduce reoffending.
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 22
8. Create a Federal tax credit or incentive for home security systems. This issue
was raised 6 times during CPC consultations. Specific concerns included:
Mandate (if necessary) reduced property insurance rates if rural properties
have approved home has approved security systems deployed;
Provide grants or tax credits for home and business owners to purchase
approved security systems to reduce crime.
9. Improve Justice system performance and court processing reform. This issue
was raised 14 times during CPC consultations. Specific
concerns included:
Prioritize scheduling of court appearances based on severity of crime
rather than a ‘first in first out’ process;
Investigate, monitor and report the consequences of the SCC Jordan
case ruling with respect to charges being withdrawn or dismissed and
consider changes to address delay;
Ensure full criminal histories and victim impact statements are provided
to the Court;
Increase the number of local Justices of the Peace and require them to
personally see offenders when conducting bail hearings;
Review current procedures and seek changes to eliminate onerous
police report requirements and increase the efficiency of the criminal
court system.
10. Review internal RCMP policies ‘no pursuit policy’ and other internal policies.
This issue was raised 13 times during CPC consultations. Specific concerns
included:
Repeal the ‘no pursuit’ policy for RCMP, especially in rural areas
Acquire RCMP police helicopters for rural areas;
Consider re-instating the auxiliary officer program for RCMP;
Improve the current RCMP telephone incident reporting system and
officer dispatch system currently used in rural areas;
Balance RCMP resources between neighbourhood and highway
patrols;
Introduce Integrated Crime Management programs in more rural areas;
Ensure officers assigned to RCMP detachments are performing local
law enforcement duties and not other RCMP mandated duties.
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 23
11. Consider changes to deal with repeat offenders. This issue was raised 12 times
during CPC consultations. Specific concerns included:
Support denial of pre-trial/sentence release of repeat or violent offenders;
Implement stricter parole conditions and penalties for parole violations;
Fund the use of Electronic Monitoring surveillance systems for appropriate
offenders on bail or as part of a court-imposed sentence;
Combat the current ‘revolving door’ and ‘catch and release’ system –
where offenders are committing crimes while on bail or awaiting
sentencing.
12. Improve coordination, collaboration, and communication between law
enforcement agencies. This issue was raised 18 times during CPC
consultations. Specific concerns included:
Consider providing greater authority and powers to community peace
officers as well as Canadian Police Information Centre clearance;
Integrate and centralize call centres for municipal law enforcement and the
RCMP;
Improve information sharing about crimes and offenders between all
jurisdictions of government.
13. Targeted reforms to the prison system. This issue was raised 8 times during
CPC consultations. Specific concerns included:
Take actions to ensure that incarceration is appropriately perceived as a
deterrent to potential offenders;
Address remand and prison/penitentiary cell capacity to reduce internal
pressures to release offenders;
Ensure there is sufficient capacity for psychiatric assessments of
offenders within prisons.
14. Improve assistance for victims of crimes and protection of victims’ rights.
This issue was raised 5 times during CPC consultations. Specific concerns
included:
Ensure victims of rural property crimes are able to access funds for victims
of crime.
Ensure increased application by the Crown for restitution orders and
support for enforcement of restitution orders on behalf of victims as a
remedy for property crimes.
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 24
APPENDIX B:
Crime Statistics Reporting
The following issues and Recommendations were provided in other interviews, reports
and materials relevant to this rural crime analysis.
Crime related statistics
As several people have noted, in dealing with crime issues, including rural crime, it is
important to examine the most relevant statistical data available to ensure that any
policy reforms are substantive, and evidence based. This is not just a good policy
strategy; it is the best way to get effective results. Put differently, we don’t need to be
‘tough’ on crime, but we do need to be honest about crime, so we can be smart about
crime.
The public reporting of crime statistics is done in a number of ways by different public
organizations including Juristat which is a division of Statistics Canada. These Juristat
reports are the ones most frequently cited by public officials commenting on crime
trends and they do contain valuable information through a variety of Reports issued
annually.
Among the most crime volumes relevant is the annual Police Reported Crime Statistics
which provides crime data by offence types and rates nationally, provincially and from
urban centers. Juristat partners with a special Committee of the Canadian Association
of Chiefs of Police to develop the methodologies of crime statistics reporting including
what gets analysed and reported from the total data gathered. The relevance of
Juristat’s reporting has improved over the past decade but it remains deficient in a
number of areas especially with respect to the criminal profile of persons charged with
crime in Canada.
Additionally, despite the data being available, Juristat’s reporting does not always
provide the specific information relevant to specific issues such as have been identified
in the analysis of rural crime. The latest Police Reported Crime Report for 2016 which
was released in July 2017, for example, shows virtually no increase in overall Break and
Enters and Vehicle Theft from 2015 to 2016 in Alberta. This is likely due to the merging
of urban and rural data and the non-reporting of data from previous years which would
reveal the actual increase.8
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 25
Fortunately, Juristat also provides access to the raw data it receives which it has
organized into much more relevant information to specific issues. This data is available
through what are known as ‘CANSIM’ tables the latest of which of relevance from
November 2017 can be found online.9
This more focused data shows an increase of Break and Enters in Alberta from 19,414
incidents in 2012 to 27,989 incidents in 2016 or a 42% increase. Offenders convicted of
these offences for the same time period also increased from 2,209 to 2,822 or an
approximate 31% increase.
It is also appropriate to recognize that, as this report has noted, for a multiplicity of
reasons, not all people report crimes to police which is relevant in assessing the actual
amount of crime that is occurring. This is also a subject which Juristat reports through
the Victimization Survey, the latest of which in 2015 confirmed a disturbingly and
continuing low crime reporting rate (on its selected offences) among Canadians of only
31%.10 The stated reasons for this low reporting rate are varied but include, as noted by
rural crime victims, a lack of confidence in the criminal justice system.
In summary, while the Juristat crime statistics are useful, improvements need to be
made in what is analysed and reported. This more focused information will not only help
inform policy reforms, but will also be a valuable resource for systemic accountability. If
the public is aware, for example, of disproportionately high volumes of crime being
committed by persons on bail in one judicial district as compared to others, that may
lead to targeted questions as to why that is occurring and whether there are problems
with the Crown Prosecutors not opposing bail or judges ordering it despite evidence that
suggests detention is appropriate.
The RCMP has advised that all of its detachments produce annual Crime Statistics
which is a source of information that should be utilized. Further, through Provincial
Associations of Chiefs of Police or their own databases, Provinces are fully capable of
gathering, analyzing and publicly reporting the most relevant crime statistics to the
people of Canada.
Finally, it is advisable to be aware of deficiencies in the current methodology used by
Juristat (Stats Canada) which have been identified previously. This issue was raised at
the Public Safety Committee’s initial hearing on Motion 167 where Ms. Stubbs was
challenged on the importance of the issue by a Liberal MP who cited Juristat data.
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 26
To its credit, Juristat itself has identified the reporting methodology deficiencies which
include:
Use of Most-Serious-Incident Reporting
The report explains, in a footnote on p. 25, that “[c]ounts are based upon the
most serious violation in the incident. One incident may involve multiple
violations” (Dauvergne and Turner 2010, 25). In other words, even though an
incident may involve multiple crimes and multiple victims, Statistics Canada
reports only a single offence. While this approach might be appropriate in
circumstances where a conviction on multiple counts would not occur – say, theft
plus possession of stolen property or impaired driving plus refusal to undergo a
blood alcohol test – it is inappropriate and misleading to use it when separate
and distinct crimes have been committed for which the individual can be
prosecuted and convicted. The result from the current methodology would
appear to underreport crime.
Crime Severity Index
The report explains that, “[i]n the calculation of the CSI, each offence is assigned
a weight, derived from sentences handed down by criminal courts. The more
serious the average sentence, the higher the weight for that offence” (Dauvergne
and Turner 2010, 9). Thus, the severity of crime is based not on the objective
determination of designated crimes but on subjective assessments of appropriate
sentences as imposed by judges.
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 27
APPENDIX C:
Membership of the Conservative Party of Canada
Alberta Rural Crime Task Force
John Barlow
Member of Parliament for Foothills
Blaine Calkins (Co-Chair)
Member of Parliament for Red Deer — Lacombe
Earl Dreeshen (Co-Chair)
Member of Parliament for Red Deer — Mountain View
Jim Eglinski (Co-Chair)
Member of Parliament for Yellowhead
Rachael Harder
Member of Parliament for Lethbridge
Dane Lloyd
Member of Parliament for Sturgeon River — Parkland
Glen Motz
Member of Parliament for Medicine Hat — Cardston — Warner
Martin Shields
Member of Parliament for Bow River
Kevin Sorenson
Member of Parliament for Battle River — Crowfoot
Shannon Stubbs
Member of Parliament for Lakeland
Arnold Viersen
Member of Parliament for Peace River—Westlock
David Yurdiga
Member of Parliament for Fort McMurray — Cold Lake
Toward a Safer Alberta: Addressing Rural Crime | 28
REFERENCES
1 “In 2017, rural Alberta crime rates were 38% higher compared to urban crime rates in the province.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/4349313/alberta-crime-stats-2017/
2 1 The matters identified in the CPC consultations are also largely cited in the Alberta constituency
consultations conducted by UCP MLAs, although there are some differences in identified concerns and
resulting actions.
3 Consultant and former Alberta Crown Prosecutor Scott Newark LLB was retained to consolidate this
work and make recommendations.
4 “I’m just tired of being a victim.” NE Calgary area rural property owner
https://globalnews.ca/news/4298822/rural-alberta-crime-spree/
5 http://www.ucpcaucus.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Rural-Crime-Report-FINAL.pdf
6 https://www.reddeeradvocate.com/news/lacombe-county-funds-new-rcmp-investigator/
7 “To say that the RCMP face a daunting task in rural Alberta is an understatement. The Rocky Mountain
House detachment covers 9,600 square kilometres, and there are 30 officers to cover all of the shifts
round the clock.”
https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/corbella-rural-crime-a-meth-fuelled-epidemic
8 http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2017001/article/54842-eng.pdf
9 http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/caws
nsim/a33?RT=TABLE&sortby=id&themeID=2693&spMode=tables&lang=eng
10
www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2015001/article/14241-eng.pdf.